Our Board Members
Sharon Goldsworthy, Board Chair
Sharon is one of the founding directors of the Collingwood Non Profit Housing Board.
After graduating from Teachers College, she found work as an elementary school teacher in downtown Toronto. During her career, Sharon supported many families experiencing poverty, seeing the issues the children faced at school. In 1975, she moved to Collingwood with her husband and children. There, Sharon began volunteering through her local church. She ran outreach programs which further increased her knowledge of community poverty and the need for housing for low-income families.
One day, she saw an announcement that the Province of Ontario was providing funding to build new affordable housing. Encouraged by her community work, she jumped on board with a group of passionate people who founded the Collingwood Non Profit Housing Corporation. Over the past 30 years, they created a team that built and now manage a 45-unit affordable apartment building.
“I am delighted that today so many are willing to step up to address this terrible housing crisis. We now have plans to share our housing experience and join forces to create new models. I look forward to the future.”
Alice Grottoli
Alice has spent more than 35 years working in the non-profit and charitable sector with a variety of organizations across Ontario. She has held front line and management roles with the Conservation Authorities of Ontario, YMCA, United Way, and Community Connection/211 Ontario.
In her career, Alice has made significant contributions in the areas of public education program development and implementation strategies, communications, media relations and fund development. In Collingwood, Alice has supported the community with 20 years of service as a TRACKS Employment Resource Centre board member. Alice helped establish the South Georgian Bay Community Health Centre as a founding - and current - board member.
Volunteering is important to Alice as she feels the community here is in need. “When Georgian Gables approached me, I was happy to become a board member. Housing is the key determinant in health and their work has been invaluable to Collingwood.”
Alice and her family lived in Collingwood - and even though her children have moved throughout Ontario, they contribute to their respective communities’ efforts toward better health and wellness.
Gail Michalenko, Treasurer
Gail was born and raised in Collingwood. After University, she worked for nine years on the Property Management team with the Ministry of Housing in the city of Toronto. In 1981, she and her husband Don made the decision to move to Collingwood with their boys. Gail worked as a life skills counsellor for TRACKS Youth Employment Centre and then the Manager of the Housing Resource Centre. She then served as the executive director for the Housing Resource Centre of South Georgian Bay for more than 20 years.
Once retired, Gail began volunteering with organizations assisting people experiencing homelessness. She helped create an Out of the Cold program and joined the Town of Collingwood Municipal Housing Task Force. Gail is currently Board Chair of Home Horizon Youth Transitional Housing, a board director of the Busby Centre, and a senior representative on the Simcoe County Alliance to End Homelessness Coalition. Despite her busy volunteer work, she still found time to join Collingwood Non Profit Housing Board. “The only solution to homelessness is housing - and as a passionate advocate, I believe in making this a reality in our community.”
Pam McDermid
Pam has been a Collingwood resident for more than 30 years, arriving here with her two sons in 1993. She became involved with the Housing Resource Centre soon after arriving and was a long-term board member and an interim manager. A professional social worker (B.A., B.S.W., M.S.W), community work and community development has always been her priority. Her experience includes several years as a community worker in Toronto's inner city and as a policy analyst and adviser at Queen's Park.
For the past 15 years, Pam’s work has focused on efforts to improve supports, services and access to information for seniors - this includes being a member of a Council on Aging, Prevention of Elder Abuse Committee, Seniors Network and an Age Friendly County Committee.
With her passion for helping others, and experience in working to advocate for vulnerable people, Pam was happy to join the Collingwood Non Profit Housing Board. “Housing is a basic need - essential to everyone's health and well-being - and working to improve housing options is a high priority for me.”